Care Sheet for MonitorsAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 4.15 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 11/26/2005 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Monitors |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Reptile_addict |
Years Experience: | 3 to 5 Years |
Species: | Savannah Monitor |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | Savannah or Bosc Monitor |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Sexing is hard until they are sexually mature. As they reach 1-2 years old, the males will eventually start to get buldges at the base of their tail. The males will be larger, around 3-4.5 feet while females will usually be smaller, around 3-3.5 feet sometimes larger. |
Mostly Active During: | Day |
Substrate and Water Needs: | I perfer to use a mix of 3 parts dirt(top soil or yard dirt from your back yard) and 1 part sand. 5 pounds of sand with 15 pounds of soil. I perfer it to be about 3-6 inches deep. An adult females dirt should be about 3 feet deep at a minimim as they will become egg bound(not able to lay the eggs) if not deep enough. Soil holds a great burrow which is what savannahs, ecspecially adults love. For a younger savannah, I like to use the plastic paint trays for water. The savannah can choose a deeper side or a shallow side. The water dish should be large enough for the savannah monitor to soak in. For adults I perfer the 27 qt. rubbermaids as they are large enough and not too deep. |
Lighting and UVB: | UVA/UVB is NOT needed but has NO negative effects. I use Hallogen out door flood lights for heat. I use anything from 75 to 125 watts for my basking spots depending on overall room temperature and how far from the basking spot the light is. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | I perfer a 120-140 degree basking spont for younger savannahs as they love hotter spots to digest their meals. An adult will appreciate a 100-120 degree basking spot. For larger monitors you may use a row of basking lights over a spot big enough for the savannah to strech out and get heat over its entire body. I keep humidity between 40-70% depending on if in shed or not |
Heating and Equipment: | I prefer hallogen outdoor flood lights from 75-125 watts for a basking spot. |
Caging Provided: | For a baby savannah a 10-20 gallon is a MINIMUM but that will last for a short time. I would keep savannahs in a 40 breeder(36" by 18" by 18") until they reach about 18-22" then I upgrade them to either a 6 by 3 or a 8 by 4 custom cage. I would recomend a 6 by 3 cage for a single adult savannah but I prefer a 8 by 4 for a single or maybe a pair of them |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | For young savannahs I licke to use crickets, roaches, pinkie mice,fuzzie mice, meal worms, and ground turkey as a treat. Young savannahs can be feed as much as they will eatas they will grow at a steady rate. The amount they will eat depends on the basking temps and the age of the monitor.
For adults I like to feed crickets or insects until they stop accepting them as they get great exersize chasing them. The adults can be feed ground turkey, mice, rats, insects, and beef heart. I feed my younger savannah hard boiled eggs as a treat and ground turkey as a treat. Beef heart can be used but not as a staple(regular) diet, maybe 1 time a week or so. Adults should be feed as much as they eat in 1 setting(at a particular time) 2-4 times a week depending on the basking temps and the body weight. If you see the savannah getting fat or a bit chubby cut back on feeding ammount, frequentcy, or both. Some may also take quail and chicks. Make sure not to feed live rodents as they may fight back and feeding live rodents makes the monitor more agressive. NEVER HAND FEED!!! Make sure all feeder insects are gut loaded(recently fed) with a good cricket diet. I prefer Flukers Cricket Diet as it is cheap and works well. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | For younger savannahs, I dust the crickets with a calcium, multivitamin supplement as often as you would like and for adults you may add a bit to the insects they still eat but do not over do it. |
Maintenance: | Spot clean all left over food, excrements(poop), and change water daily or as needed. You should mist the cage as needed to keep the soil slightly damp on top and moist about 1 inch or so under the surface. Be careful not to flood burrows. |
Some Words on this Species: | Great and good for beginers as long as they are well taken care of. Do not get one because you think they are cool and you want to see it kill stuff and those type of people are the ones that get tired of it and dump it at a pet store or animal shelter. If available get a c/b monitor or at least captive hatched. Get all newly received animals a vet check and a fecal exam from a vet. This should cost around 40-60$ and will be well worth it. If you have any questions not mentioned here feel free to email me at reptile_addict@yahoo.com |
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